The Aviators of Upcycling: Dave Hall and Donovan Fell
In 2001, in a garage in the South bay area of Los Angeles, two innovative upcyclers began MotoArt, a boutique company making ‘aviation art’- furniture created from the chopped up parts of decommissioned planes.
The company has been so successful, that founders Donovan Fell and Dave Hall now have a staff of over 18 burly looking men, who help the to salvage aviation parts from scrap yards both within the United States and internationally.
With showrooms in Australia, Italy, China, Maryland and Los Angles and over 130 product lines; MotoArt is now a fully-fledged global success story. And it’s pretty easy to see why.
Their futurist and eco-friendly creations combine perfectly polished modern designs and technology into a piece of aviation or military history- that you can sit on!
Using parts from Boeing 737s, Albatrosses, MK-84 Bombers, the B52 Stratofortress, Waco Biplanes and many more, the team at MotoArt have upcycled a dazzling variety of pieces.
The Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet Conference Table, made with engine narcelle is definitely a conversation starter- the glass table top perfectly showcases the blood red finish of the inner turbine.
There is the KC-97 office desk made from a fuel cradle, the 747 Cowling cocktail bar complete with Transformer-like bar stools, there is even a desk made from a fuselage with aeroplane windows in the surface that can be adapted into LED lighting or even iPad displays!
One of our personal favourites at Upcycle Studio, is the bamboo biplane conference table which contrasts the warm bamboo skeleton of the plane’s wing, with a shiny glass surface and polished steel feet.
The company says that they aim to get a hold of at least a dozen of each part, so that several copies can be made of each design- for now though, specific pieces are available only when they can find the planes- Which means you’re unlikely to meet anyone else with the same coffee table!
Each piece can require up to 100 hours of sanding and many parts are from planes that actually served in the Korean, Vietnam or Second World Wars. Perfect for your military-history-buff dad, or jet-setting bachelor buddy.
While some pieces go for over $20,000, the team at MotoArt also creates smaller feature pieces such as the Radial Engine Lamp, B52 wall mounted mirror and Piston desk clock set.
Upcycle Studio is thrilled with the work the boys at MotoArt are doing, and we encourage you to support them. According to the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA), 12,000 airplanes will retire by 2020- why not put them to use as your next bookshelf or bedframe!
